06 January 2013

The Sri Lanka of my imagination is a lush, tropical tear
drop draped in tea plantations, rain forests and colourful temples. While traveling
along the Southern Coast I saw beautiful beaches and majestic forts, but it was
only once I boarded the train from the hill station Ella to the cultural
capital of Kandy that I could appreciate the most stunning scenery the country
has to offer.

When I was a wee babe of 18 I spent my first trip through Europe practically
living on trains. I had a three-month unlimited Eurail pass and sleeping on
trains was cheaper than a hostel bed, so while the train whizzed from Nice to
Milan, Paris to San Sebastian or Berlin to Brussels I curled up like a little
prawn in my seat. And while my 31 year old body does not fit so neatly and…. flexibly into a berth, I still have a
soft spot for rail travel.

The timetable at Ella train station

I think that train journeys are the most romantic way to see
a country. The rail lines that crisscross South Asia hearken to a time when
jute fans twirled lazily above tables laden with gin and tonics, a time when
adventure travelers could traverse Asia overland from Turkey to Afghanistan and
finally to the Southern tip of the great Indian subcontinent.

Trains often take a more scenic route through mountains,
plains and coasts than roads do, and so for panoramic beauty alone a train
journey is the more lovely option. But it’s the cities I love most. When you
arrive into a city on a bus or in a car, you see its pretty face, the one it wants you to see. When you arrive by
train you see the strange backstage areas that no one on the streets is allowed
to access – the hobo shelters, the arcane graffiti and the weird industrial
backside of an urban space. It’s a special bond, like catching a beautiful
woman dressing and noticing a huge scar she keeps hidden. Beauty through
imperfection – a bus can’t even begin to compare.

And so with my propensity to wax poetic about train travel,
I knew that I had to manage my expectations of our journey to avoid
disappointment lest the trip be less beautiful than promised by guidebooks and
fellow travelers. I needn’t have worried.

Gorgeous scenery in the hills between Ella and Kandy

During our seven hour trip through the mountains of Sri
Lanka I witnessed some of the most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen. The
train passed idyllic villages, picturesque farms and towering temples as we
climbed and dipped up around hills, wound our way through tunnels and valleys
and sliced through countless acres of pristine tea estates. Standing in the
open door of the train car I couldn’t help but smile like a giddy child as I
waved to sarong-clad men and enthusiastic school children.

Dude. It was totally super munchee.

Goofy little gal

On board the train we were treated to Sri Lankan hospitality
– we had ignored our best traveler instincts and declined to bring food aboard
the train, believing there to be a dining car, or at least locals selling
drinks and short eats that we could dash to buy from the station platforms.
This was not the case. We were doomed to eat babybels and chocolate from our
stash until an adorable family across the aisle noticed our predicament and
offered us crackers, samosas and fresh sweet rolls. Their rambunctious tomboy
daughter kept us entertained for hours, and they even passed my mum their
number and told us to call if we had any problems while in their country. We
could have used their help last week…

We pulled into Kandy two hours late – not too shabby for a
country that measures how late the trains are running with the unit “day,” (as
in “only half a day late”) and were picked up by the gracious Sarath, owner of
the Freedom Lodge. It had been a long day, but a rewarding one. I stepped off
of the train with an understanding of the culture and beauty of the central
hills of the country, an understanding that only rail travel can provide.

Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever
visited. Its beaches are legendary, its food delicious and its people
hospitable – but it was a train ride through the mountains that was the
highlight of my trip. Just remember to pack a lunch!

Who's That Girl?

I'm a writer, Masters student and neon sign historian who loves Herzog films, late night poutine and petting dogs. I currently reside in London, England where I am completing a postgrad in Heritage Studies. These are my ramblings about architecture, food, pop culture and Buddhism.